The Australian High Commission has donated more than 100,000 books to over two dozen schools and libraries across the Maldives.
Speaking to PSM News, the Australian High Commission said more than 100,000 books have been donated to 29 different schools and community libraries across 15 atolls of the Maldives.
The donation of books featured secondary and primary teacher resources, teen, primary and adult fiction and non-fiction, reference books and stationery items, the High Commission said.
This public diplomacy initiative was made possible through the generosity of a number of individuals and companies: The Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington in Melbourne Australia, Fantasy Private Limited, Sepia International, Centurion Transport and The Reading Room.
The Reading Room, an NGO based in the Maldives co-founded and run by Australian alumna Asima Abdul Gadir, helped sort through the books and organised the distribution to the different schools and libraries, the High Commission added.
According to the High Commission, over the course of three weeks, a group of volunteers led by Asima had gone through each book, vetting them for suitability for schools and libraries.
The Reading Room reached out to several schools and libraries to gauge interest. In most cases, the schools organised the logistics and transportation of the books to their islands, with many boats offering free transport.
“The Australian Government’s assistance to Maldives in the education sector forms the bedrock of our bilateral relationship. This initiative will provide much-needed reading and teaching materials to schools and libraries most in need of such material,” Australian High Commissioner David Jessup said.
In April this year, the Australian High Commission had organised and hosted a community event which received over 500 books that were donated to Kulhudhuffushi Public Library and Thaa Guraidhoo school.